By this time of year, everyone’s ready to get out of the house and enjoy warm air and sunshine. Having been cooped up for the last 3 months, a 40 degree day here in Illinois is enough to make one consider opening up the windows and airing out the house! And though it will be another 2 months until the temperatures begin to rise and spring is officially here, here are a few steps to help you in beating the winter blues.
1.) Peruse our 2019 Heirloom Solutions Catalog.
Colorful images of beans, tomatoes, peppers, flowers and watermelons alone can create excitement and fulfill our hope that warmer weather will be here before we know it. Every time I open our seed catalog I get excited. Get your seed order ready and give us a call!
2.) Create a garden plan.
As you flip through our seed catalog start thinking of what you want to plant this year. Some varieties such as our seashell cosmos, zinnia’s and sunflowers that I planted last year are a given for me again this year. I loved walking out to the gardens in the morning and watching the bees fly from flower to flower.
A few of my other favorites that I want to plant again are our Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry, Beam’s Yellow Pear Tomato (my 6 year old nephew couldn’t stop plucking these off and popping them in his mouth!), and the Sweet Aperitif Tomato. There’s nothing better than snacking on a handful of heirloom tomatoes in the summer!
What are the old varieties that you must have? What are some new varieties that you would like to try? Write them down. Draw out the areas in which you can plant. Do you have a deck you can put pots on? Is there a new area in which you can dig up this year and plant? Be creative! Get your whole family involved.
3.) Start growing herbs indoors now.
You don’t need to wait until the snow has melted and the ground has thawed out to enjoy fresh heirloom herbs. Herbs can easily be grown inside. Plant your herb seeds and place the pots in a south-facing window. Though you do not have to, you may purchase a few grow lights to help your herbs, at the very beginning. A few of the best herbs to grow indoors are basil (make fresh homemade pesto), parsley, chives and cilantro. The benefits of herbs are unlimited!
4.) Try growing sprouts.
Easy vegetables to sprout are broccoli, alfalfa, mung beans and garbanzo beans (you can make homemade hummus). Sprouts are easy to grow and nutritionally-dense. You may simply sprout using a glass jar, water and seeds and have healthy, fresh food ready in a matter of a couple days. Another great way to get rid of those the winter blues!
